Bottle crusher



July 31, 1956 H, WH 2,756,937

BOTTLE CRUSHER Filed March 25, 1955 w I 1"? ||T W WM INVENTOR. l/OMER h. smn

BOTTLE CRUSHER Homer H. Smith, Detroit, Mich.

Application March 25, 1955, Serial No. 496,743 I Claims. (Cl. 241-99) This invention relates to a bottle crusher, and more particularly to a bottle crushing device which is adapted for positioning over the open end of a storage receptacle.

Heretofore various devices have. been construetedfor solving the problem of breaking empty whiskey bottles such as normally required by state law or other law.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a complete simplified mechanism with a minimum of parts and which is completely safe to operate and yet fully effective in breaking bottles.

It is the further object of the present invention to provide a portable casing adapted for positioning; over a receptacle and which includes means for firmly supporting a bottle upon the interior of the casing and which also includes a hinged weighted means adapted for crushing contact with the bottle.

It is the further object of the present invention to provide in conjunction with the said casing ahinged element adapted for movement down into the casing and which is also adapted to suspend and support the. bottle. to be broken for moving the same into impact or sharp contact with a rigid anvil mounted within the said casmg.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction withthe appended drawing in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of the present bottle crusher.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, and illustrating in phantom the upper portion of a storage receptacle.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the bottle crusher shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevational section of a slightly different form of bottle crusher construction; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section taken on line 55 of Fig. 4.

It will be understood that the above drawing illustrates merely a preferred embodiment of the invention and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set forth.

Referring to the drawing, the present bottle crusher includes a cylindrical, preferably metallic casing 11, which is provided with a fiat top or closure 12 as an integral part thereof. The said casing is adapted for positioning over the open end of a storage receptacle such as receptacle 27 shown fragmentarily and in phantom in Fig. 2.

There is formed within top wall 12 a central elongated rectangular opening 13 to provide access to the interior of said casing and to provide a clearance recess for the swingable mechanism hereafter described, whereby the bottle 37 stored within the casing will be crushed.

At the rear end of opening 13 there is provided a plate 14 secured to said top by the fasteners 15, said plate having an upright bracket element 16 from the opposite ends of which project a pair of parallel spaced upright hinge elements or cars 17.

There is provided within the said opening 13 a hollow elongated box 19 whose bottom is open as indicated in Fig. 2, and this box is pivotally mounted upon the hinge elements 17 by means of a pair of rearwardly extending cars 18 forming a part of said box and which are. in an upright position and which cooperatively register with hinge elements 17. The pivotal connection between elements 17 and 18 is completed by the hinge pin 20.

The said box may he raised and lowered by means of handle 21 which projects from the top surface of box 19 and is secured thereon by means of the screw 39, Fig. 2. Said threaded screw or threaded element has secured thereto upon the interior under surface of the box cover a cylindrical weighted element 38, which weighted element in the manner hereafter described is adapted for operative crushing engagement with bottle 37' in the manner hereafter described.

The said hollow elongated box includes the depending flanges or side walls 22 and the front wall 23. These walls in normal positioning are adapted to extend below the top wall 12 in the manner shown in Fig. 2 and are for the purpose of preventing particles ofglass flying out through opening 13. As will be noted hereafter, at the point of impact of the weight. 38 with respect to the bottle, the walls 22 and 23 will be below the top 12.

Box 19 also includes a substantially upright rear wall 24 which is inclined slightly'outwardly and downwardly and at its end terminates in its inwardly directed flange 25, which flange is employed in the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 4 for securing the neck end of bottle 37', as hereafter described.

Arranged upon the interior of casing 11 are a series of spaced angle members 26 upwardly of the bottom of casing 11 and which are adapted for supporting engagement upon the open rim of receptacle 27.

As shown in Fig. 3, there are provided a pair of cross bars or rods 28 which are arranged in parallel spaced relation and extend horizontally. These bars are secured at their respective. ends to the adjacent angle members 26 to thereby provide a means whereby the present casing 11 may be supported upon storage receptacles of different diameters other than the one shown in Fig. 2.

Within the casing 11 and transversely of the opening 13 formed in wall 12 there is provided an elongated support. In the present preferred embodiment the support includes the metallic strap 29. The said strap at its ends is angularly turned defining the end portions 30 which register with the interior surface of casing 12 and are secured thereto as by the bolts 31. The said strap 29 has a concave recess 32 at its central portion in registry with the opening 13 and pivotal box 19 and is adapted to supportably receive the base portion of bottle 37'.

There is also provided an additional support element in conjunction with strap 29 which consists of a pair of arcuate horizontally disposed support plates 33 whose right angularly related end portions are anchored to intermediate portions of the strap 29 as by the bolts 35. The opposite ends of the supports 33 converge towards each other as at 36, Fig. 3, to thereby provide a supporting apex which in cooperation with strap 29 provides an effective support for the bottle prior to crushing thereof.

A pair of rubber bumpers 37 are secured to the strap 29 by the bolts 35 and extend above the top surface thereof and are adapted to cooperatively receive the bottom edges of the depending walls 22 of box 19 to prevent a jarring action and to cushion the downward movement of the said box after the bottle has been broken.

In this connection, the weighted element 38 is arranged in vertical registry with the metallic strap 29 which cooperates therewith for crushing the bottle therebetween Patented July 31, 1956 as the said box and its weight 38 as by the handle 21 is forcefully projected downwardly into opening 13 into crushing contact with the said bottle.

A slight variation is shown in Figs. 4 and 5 wherein the strap 29 shown in Fig. 3 would be used merely as the breaking anvil.

In this connection the bottle 37 is supported by the pivotal box 19. As shown in Fig. 4, the neck of the bottle rests upon ledge 25 which forms a part of rear wall 24 of said box. The forward portion of the bottle is supported by the elongated coiled spring 38 whose respective free ends are anchored to the respective opposite side Walls 22 as at points 39, remote from the pivotal connection 24 In operation, the bottle is broken by merely raising the box 19 to a substantially upright position and permitting it to fall with the bottle carried thereby until the bottle engages the anvil 29 and is crushed by the force of impact. Here also the corresponding weight 33 is in vertical registry with anvil 2?.

Having described my invention, reference should now be had to the claims which follow for determining the scope thereof.

1 claim:

1. A bottle crusher comprising an upright cylindrical casing having a flat top and an open bottom adapted for positioning over a receptacle, there being a central elongated rectangular opening in said top coplanar there with, a hollow elongated box with parallel side and end walls and with open bottom pivotally mounted at one end upon said top with said side and end walls loosely nested within said opening and adapted for swinging movements thereinto, a bottle engaging weight depending from the interior of said box remote from its pivotal mounting, and a bottle support mounted within and upon said casing below its top, a portion of said support being in vertical registry with said weight.

2. The bottle crusher of claim 1, the bottle support consisting of a horizontally disposed metal strap arranged transversely of the length of said rectangular opening and therebelow, the respective ends of said strap being secured to the interior surface of said casing, and a pair of converging horizontal arms secured at their one ends to spaced portions of the strap below said opening and extending laterally of said strap.

3. The bottle crusher of claim 1, the bottle support consisting of a horizontally disposed metal strap arranged transversely of the length of said rectangular opening and therebelow, the respective ends of said strap being secured to the interior surface of said casing, and a pair of converging horizontal arms secured at their one ends to spaced portions of the strap below said opening and extending laterally of said strap, said strap having a central concave recess which cooperates with the apex clefined by said arms to provide a bottle supporting cradle.

4. A bottle crusher comprising an upright cylindrical casing having a flat top and an open bottom adapted for positioning over a receptacle, there being a central elon gated rectangular opening in said top, a hollow elongated box with open bottom pivotally mounted at one end upon said top loosely nested within said opening and adapted for swinging movements thereinto, a weighted bottle engaging element depending from the interior of said box remote from its pivotal mounting, an elongated horizontally disposed anvil secured within and to said casing transversely ofthe rectangular opening in substantially vertical alignment with the weighted element, the rear wall of the box terminating in an inwardly directed bottle supporting flange, and a coiled spring depending from opposite side wall portions of said box remote from its pivotal connection for supportably engaging a portion of the bottle.

5. A bottle crusher comprising an upright casing open at its bottom and adapted for positioning over a receptacle, said casing having a rectangular opening in its top coplanar therewith, a hollow elongated box with parallel side and end walls and with open bottom pivotally mounted at one end upon said casing with said side and end walls loosely nested within said rectangular opening and adapted for swinging movements thereinto, a bottle engaging weight depending from the interior of said box remote from its pivotal mounting, and a bottle support mounted within and upon said casing below its top, a portion of said support being in substantial vertical registry with said weight.

References fitted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

